Welcome
Message from the Chair
The National Archives is an essential resource for our democracy, a public good and an asset for future generations. Our historic mission endures: to collect and preserve the record, to use our expertise and knowledge to connect people with their history through our unrivalled collections, and to lead, partner and support archives at home and worldwide.
Our conviction is that archives are for everyone, and that archives change lives for the better. As custodian of the nation’s stories, our obligation is to connect with the biggest and most diverse audience possible, in the most innovative ways we can.
To honour this obligation we must become a new kind of cultural and heritage institution. Our strategic vision, Archives for Everyone, describes the 21st Century national archive: inclusive, entrepreneurial and disruptive.
The inclusive archive builds trust and tears down barriers to access, participation and understanding. It harnesses talent from diverse backgrounds. It is bold, active and outward looking – encountered by people and communities in unexpected places and at vital moments.
The entrepreneurial archive creates and realises value at home and across the globe. Operating flexibly and fearlessly, it is adept at finding and exploiting commercial, research and philanthropic funding opportunities – opening out and promoting its collection.
The disruptive archive changes everything. Constantly adapting, it rethinks and reshapes its practice to meet its contemporary and future challenges. Developing new skills and exploiting emerging technology, the disruptive archive reaffirms and transforms its historic mission for the digital age, from creation to presentation.
We will not become the 21st Century national archive overnight. It will take time, focus, effort and daring. To complete this transformation, taking on a new board-level role as the Director of People, Inclusion and Change, you’ll lead, inspire and energise the HR and Inclusion functions, ensuring that resources and efforts are harnessed to make sure your vision for a new people strategy is accompanied with practical planning and a pro-active approach that will see it become reality.
You’ll use your outstanding personal and professional experience to lead a refresh of our values, and develop and amplify a fresh, innovative employer brand that will resonate with diverse audiences and act as a driver of culture change. You will also be responsible for leading our work to drive the changes needed for us to become the Inclusive Archive for our people, our audiences, and our collection – with diversity and inclusion integral to our culture and decision-making.
There has never been a more exciting time to be part of The National Archives. If you have the passion, experience, knowledge and skills to help us achieve our ambitions then we would be delighted to hear from you.
Lesley Cowley
Chair of The National Archives’ Board